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John Carlson, who scored the winner that frigid night in Saskatchewan. Cam Fowler, a stunning addition to the Ducks a year ago. Jake Gardiner, who surprised Maple Leaf management by grabbing a blue-line spot last fall.

Others off that U.S. team may ultimately make the grade — Jerry D’Amigo, Jack Campbell, Kyle Palmieri, Jeremy Morin, Jordan Schroeder — but that Big Five was a superb group then, and are all making a major impact now in the NHL.

If anything, the surprise was that Fowler and Carlson were able to make the jump so quickly. Kreider, on the other hand, served just about the perfect apprenticeship, and good on the Rangers for showing such patience.

Three full years at Boston College, including the NCAA title this year. Two world juniors. A world championship role with the U.S. as the lone collegian a year ago.

Ideally, sure, you’d like him in Hartford for a year, and that could still happen. And Lord knows if the speedy left winger was a Leaf prospect, some would have labelled him a bust by now or screamed that he was wasting his time in college. But five goals in Kreider’s first 15 NHL games, all playoff matches, makes a strong statement that the 21-year-old is indeed ready for this level of competition even if head coach John Tortorella can’t quite stop himself from commenting on the lessons Kreider still has to learn.

“I don’t know the kid at all. I’ve probably spoken to him three or four times since he’s been here,” said Tortorella after Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final against New Jersey. “But he has a knack. The puck follows him around. And he has a ways to go away from the puck, but he has a knack with that puck.

“And as we continue, especially when the season starts next year, I think that’s when we’ll certainly find (out) more about him. But it’s pretty exciting to see what he’s doing as a kid coming right out of college.”

Kreider became a little more important for the Blueshirts in Game 4 on Monday night with the one-game suspension to left winger Brandon Prust. With Brandon Dubinsky not yet fully healed from injury, the Rangers didn’t really have another left winger to fill, leaving possibly more work for Kreider to do.

Asked if he looks at Kreider as a “veteran” now, goalie Henrik Lundqvist said, “I don’t know about veteran, but everybody’s here for a reason. They’re not here because we think a guy’s going to be good next year or two years. He’s here and playing because he’s good right now.”

When the Columbus Blue Jackets were fielding offers for Rick Nash around the trade deadline, they were asking for Gardiner from the Leafs — plus-plus — and reportedly asking for Kreider from the Rangers — plus-plus.

Both teams said no, and the answer would be the same now. Gardiner is the No. 1 defenceman on the AHL Marlies team that is taking a run at the Calder Cup, and Kreider is a regular with the Rangers. If you went to Washington and asked for Carlson, or Anaheim for Fowler, or the Rangers for Stepan, you’d probably get similar answers.

That was a golden U.S. junior core group, and as NHL assets now they are essentially invaluable. That’s especially true for Gardiner and Kreider, who still have two years to go on their entry-level contracts, and the Ducks today surely regret trading Gardiner.

L.A. might have surrendered Brayden Schenn to get Mike Richards and are happy they did, but generally speaking, moving that kind of young asset in a cap system is terribly risky.

Patiently holding on to them, and developing them, is what makes sense. It has sure made sense for the Rangers and Kreider.

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